764 
Biological  Products. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  19 18. 
at  hand  for  making  the  diagnostic  test  and  rather  than  deprive  the 
patient  of  the  benefit  of  serum  treatment,  since  its  early  administra- 
tion is  of  the  utmost  importance,  it  is  advisable  to  use  a  polyvalent 
antipneumococcic  serum,  which  is  prepared  by  injecting  horses  with 
the  three  fixed  types  of  pneumococci  and  therefore  containing  anti- 
bodies against  all  three  types.  The  polyvalent  serum  is  standard- 
ized against  a  Type  I  culture  and  must  be  as  effiiecnt  in  its  pro- 
tective power  against  pneumonia  due  to  Type  I  as  the  Type  I  serum. 
Besides,  it  contains  antibodies  against  Types  II  and  III  and  is  there- 
fore the  logical  serum  to  use  in  all  cases  of  lobar  pneumonia. 
Common  Colds. — It  is  generally  conceded  that  "  common  colds," 
which  so  often  lead  to  more  serious  complications  such  as  pneu- 
monia, are  due  to  bacterial  infections,  and  many  annual  sufferers 
from  these  infections  have  been  relieved  and  have  gone  through  a 
whole  winter  without  "colds  "  by  resorting  to  prophylactic  immuniza- 
tion with  Influenza  Serobacterin  Mixed.  In  some  of  the  army 
camps,  mixed  bacterins  composed  of  standardized  suspensions  of 
pneumococcus,  influenza,  catarrhalis,.  streptococcus  and  staphylo- 
coccus organisms  have  been  used  to  immunize  our  boys  against  in- 
fections from  these  bacteria.  Unquestionably  the  day  is  approach- 
ing when  most  diseases  due  to  bacterial  infection  will  be  conquered 
as  has  already  been  the  case  with  a  number  and  it  will  be  possible 
to  immunize  individuals  susceptible  to  these  diseases  and  thus  pre- 
vent much  suffering,  to  say  nothing  of  the  loss  of  time  and  incon- 
venience incident  to  long  illness.  Biological  materia  medica  is  still 
in  its  infancy.  Less  than  25  years  ago  diphtheria  antitoxin,  the  first 
biological  product  manufactured  and  used  to  any  extent  by  physi- 
cians, was  first  produced.  Enormous  strides  have  been  made  since 
then,  and  the  present  war  is  showing  that  the  work  along  the  lines 
of  prevention  and  treatment  with  biological  products  in  on  a  sane 
and  sound  basis.  While  many  of  our  industries  are  engaged  in  the 
necessary  work  of  providing  the  instruments  for  destruction,  there 
is  considerable  satisfaction  in  the  thought — and  there  should  be  par- 
ticularly to  pharmacists — that  the  medical  and  the  pharmaceutical 
professions  are  unselfishly  contributing  their  bit  to  the  conservation 
of  life. 
